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Notice to DOJ Employees and Former Employees Regarding Whistleblower Protection and Non-Disclosure Policies, Forms, or Agreements

The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 (WPEA) was signed into law by President Obama on November 27, 2012. The law strengthens the protections for federal employees who disclose evidence of waste, fraud, or abuse. The WPEA also requires that any non-disclosure policy, form, or agreement (NDA) include the statement below, and provides that NDAs executed without the language may be enforced as long as agencies give employees notice of the statement. As an employee/former employee of the Department of Justice, you may have been required to sign an NDA to access classified or other information. You should read the statement below as if it were incorporated into any non-disclosure policy, form, or agreement you have signed.

"These provisions are consistent with and do not supersede, conflict with, or otherwise alter the employee obligations, rights, or liabilities created by existing statute or Executive order relating to (1) classified information, (2) communications to Congress, (3) the reporting to an Inspector General of a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or (4) any other whistleblower protection. The definitions, requirements, obligations, rights, sanctions, and liabilities created by controlling Executive orders and statutory provisions are incorporated into this agreement and are controlling."

Employees/former employees are reminded that reporting evidence of waste, fraud, or abuse involving classified information or classified programs must continue to be made consistent with established rules and procedures designed to protect classified information.

Controlling Executive Orders and statutory provisions are as follows:

Executive Order No. 13526;

Section 7211 of Title 5, United States Code (governing disclosures to Congress);

Section 1034 of Title 10, United States Code, as amended by the Military Whistleblower Protection Act (governing disclosure to Congress by members of the military);

Section 2302(b)(8) of Title 5, United States Code, as amended by the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (governing disclosures of illegality, waste, fraud, abuse or public health or safety threats);